I have been drooling over the HK416c short-receiver extension/wire stock setup all weekend. My understanding is this involves a new bolt, flat recoil spring and the obvious external hardware.
While I have NO hope HK will ever provide such incredible innovations to the masses, does anyone know of an off-the-shelf approximation?
sounds like the original setup for the M231 FPW, might be some of those left on the aftermarket.
What’s old is new again. Research shows DPMS made a reproduction of the 231 stock system a few years ago, but with what looks like a carbine-length tube, or close to it, for OAL legality. I’m looking to slap this on an SBR, so that is not my concern – and frankly, why I want it.
I wonder if I could slap one together with the DPMS wire stock, bracket and a buffer tube kit from GSE?
http://www.gunsmokeenterprises.net/AR15_Pistol_Kits_GSE.html
Dunno if it’s going anywhere.
it could be just me but I can’t say I really like the lok of it.
Looks like “inspired” by HK416C stock.
I’m not into it for the looks. I am looking for the shortest package with a buttstock and reasonable terminal ballistics inside 100 yards in an AR platform.
From what I can tell, there are numerous individuals and companies moving in this direction, including HK and Colt Defense, but nothing commercially available right now.
I do not know what you mean by “commercially available” but HK416C is available. Polish Police just procured some for CT units. It for sure is not available for civilian sales and I doubt it will be, like MP7.
I mean, “available for me to purchase.”
I am well aware of the HK416C as you may glean from the original post. HK is famous for not making their high-speed gadgets available for civilian purchase in the U.S.
The HK416C is a great looking weapon.
H&K has a lot of hurdles to overcome to bring weapons to this market.
Is there a reason a PDW stock/buffer system hasn’t been more prolific? Is it the mindset of the industry or is there a flaw in the design?
perhaps an over all length legal issue?
Fixed it for you 
You can not get HK high-speed gadgets for civilian purchase anywhere. This is German law, actually put there by… U.S. Purpose was to prevent Germany from raising army by delivering “weapons of war” to civilians (what they did before WWII to work around Versailles treaty). HK can sell their high-speed gadgets only to end-users that are either military or law enforcement. This is not company policy, this is law.
No civilian, private security or PMC can have it. Even if U.S. would not have import bans, HK would not sell it for civilians. All they can do is make neutered “match rifles” like SL-8 or MR223/MR308/MR556 or USC. That is why HK was initially so pissed by HK416 uppers going into civilian hands in US. Per US law it was OK, upper was not “machine gun”, but per German law any part of “machine gun” (an machine gun is “weapon of war”) is a “machine gun”.
Of course this can have workarounds - but this require to move company and production out of Germany.
BTW How would I know if you are not LE or mil? That is why I asked how you define “available”.
This is why I don’t endorse people saying H&K has “abandoned the north american market” There are laws in place by both governments to hamper H&K at every turn. Cost to profit probably isn’t worth jumping through all those hoops
That’s all well and good except H&K does in fact have a facility in Columbus, GA and I think they have an affiliate up in the Northeast. So as far as the U.S market is concerned they could easily get around all of the nonsense.
It is not that easy, as long as HQ is in Germany and/or ownership is from Germany. Every time something with HK written on it shows in news in hands of US PMC company, Georgian President security detachment or Mexican Police, HK gmbh HQ gets raided by German Police and prosecutors, bashed in media and threaten to shut down by politicians.
And (as strange as it might sound) US market is small for HK and making firearms in US would effectively cut HK of from rest of the world (ITAR). Small scale assembling with main components made in Germany (HK45, HK45C, MR556) is one thing, full size production is another. Until HK416 IC will become “IC”, but HK got already burned on XM-8.
Anyway BTT: HK416C is as commercially available as it can be. It is a niche weapon that was designed to fill needs of one customer, who choose not to adopt it, but HK decided to cover cost by offering it COTS. In HK offer it doubles with MP7. I wonder if it can “kill” MP7 like HK416 “killed” G36.
Your English isn’t exactly clear, so I don’t follow some of this. I do have to wonder if the same user the 416C was marketed toward is the user who is actually fielding the MP7? As far as domestic manufacturing in the U.S., politics, and where their market is, it’s my opinion as someone who grew up in Sterling and Ashburn that those are largely of HK’s making.
But really back to the topic, who wants to help me figure out a way to actually build one of these stock assemblies? There is a guy on TOS who has a batch spec’d out and built, but wants to try to patent the design before releasing them. I honestly commend him on the effort, but I think attempting to patent your take on a rehashed design is a waste.
I am honestly surprised someone on here (especially some not in S. FL) has heard of GSE…
Why? They’ve been around for a long time, admittedly on the edges of the industry but present.
OP, it was a terrible design on the M231, I dunno for Hockler’s or the newer models but it’s flimsy.
I’ve just never heard anything about them here.
The tubes were made specific to time and tighten on the wire stock bracket. At the time period I bought one the wire stocks would only close on old style lowers that did not have the reinforcing around the rear buffer thread area of the lower.